Name:Master of OrionPlatform: PC
Developer: SimTex
Publisher: MicroProse Software
Year Released: 1993
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
While Civilization offered gamers a chance to live out their dreams of world domination, the truly ambitious gamers turned to another great title in the MicroProse catalog. Building on the success of Star Lords, SimTex's Master of Orion took the 4X style of gameplay (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) to the stars, letting players build up a mighty galactic empire. Managing your empire's diplomacy, economy, technology and military was a big challenge but one that paid off with big rewards as you crushed you alien rivals. There have been other space empire games since, but none better.

# 089 // Alone in the Dark

Name:Alone in the DarkPlatform: PC
Developer: Infogrames
Publisher: Interplay
Year Released: 1992
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
Inspiring and influencing a whole slew of games, from Resident Evil to Tomb Raider, Alone in the Dark was the first third-person, 3D action title and surely one of the scariest games anyone had seen at that time. Based loosely on the style and substance of the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, Alone in the Dark was very unsettling. The player took on the role of a paranormal investigator trying to escape from a manor haunted by a ghostly pirate, an animated suit of armor, a freakishly scary tree, and more zombies than you could shake a stick at. Though the graphics seem dated today, they were cutting edge at the time.

# 088 // Final Fantasy VII

Name:Final Fantasy VIIPlatform: PlayStation, PC
Developer: Square
Publisher: Squaresoft
Year Released: 1997
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
Cloud and his boys have been around for eight years and they're still some of the most popular characters in gaming. Him, his giant sword, and his classic RPG heightened the profile of an entire genre of gaming. FFVII gave turn-based gameplay new meaning by gluing together plot points with some of the most cutting-edge CG cutscenes around. The end result was a compelling experience that rocked our world. It's undeniable that this one game pushed boundaries that were never even thought of in that time. Even today, FFVII still holds the imaginations of gamers all over the world.

# 087 // Thief II: The Metal Age

Name:Thief II: The Metal AgePlatform: PC
Developer: Looking Glass Studios
Publisher: Eidos
Year Released: 2000
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
A first-person shooter where stealth is key, where being ignorant about your enemies and surroundings got you killed. Thief II surpassed the original with new abilities such as shooting buttons using arrows, invisibility, and setting and disarming traps. Practically anything you could do as a thief in a pen and paper RPG you could probably do in Thief II. Complimenting the game were its proto-Venetian setting where magic and technology co-exist and where dark, untamed forces threatened the fabric of reality. All this combined to make Thief II one of the best games of all time.

# 086 // Final Fantasy X

Name:Final Fantasy XPlatform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Square
Publisher: Squaresoft
Year Released: 2001
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
When Squaresoft finally got a chance to design a Final Fantasy for PS2, it went all out. Everything from the jaw-dropping visuals to the epic storyline make Final Fantasy X one of the most memorable RPGs of the last decade. Amazing elements like groundbreaking CG sequences and innovative character designs took the franchise to another level. But what else would you expect from the people that gave us Cloud Strife, the spikey-haired blonde kid that took the gaming world by storm. There's really no doubt that Tidus and crew brought us one of the most amazing adventures on PS2, thus earning a coveted spot on our Top 100 List.

# 085 // Prince of Persia

Name:Prince of PersiaPlatform: Multiple Systems
Developer: Jordan Mechner
Publisher: Broderbund
Year Released: 1989
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
There are many of you out there today that play modern platformers and have no recollection of the original Prince of Persia. But this single game influenced the platforming genre like nothing else, and if only by capturing every gamer's attention with amazing animations and lifelike acrobatics. Although everything was 2D, there was a profound amount of realism woven into what played out on screen. Great level design, exciting swordplay and a terrific story were all available in Jordan Mechner's Prince of Persia. If you get a hold of a copy, keep it.

# 084 // Ultima VII: The Black Gate

Name:Ultima VII: The Black GatePlatform: PC
Developer: Origin Systems
Publisher: Origin Systems
Year Released: 1992
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
The Avatar is known throughout the PC gaming world as the most popular of all role-playing characters, but none of his adventures have been more trendsetting and groundbreaking than Ultima VII: The Black Gate. With the seventh Ultima, Richard "Lord British" Garriott and his team at the fabled Origin development house created a new breed of Americanized role-playing that would dictate the course of the genre and inspire other acclaimed developers such as Black Isle, BioWare and Obsidian to create their own award-winning works. The Black Gate utilized a new real-time combat system, advanced party management mechanics, a paper doll inventory screen, branching conversations, a reactive environment, and a totally navigable world in which the player could virtually do whatever he wanted. All in one game. Insanity.

# 083 // Contra

Name:ContraPlatform: NES
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Year Released: 1988
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
Though released first in arcades, it was the NES conversion of Contra that most of us remember with fondness. Contra's simple gameplay pioneered new standards for the side-scrolling shooter genre, with eight-way directional shooting that allowed more freedom than the typical '80s shooter. Two-player cooperative play is also a huge part of why we loved (and continue to love) the game, as we still remember the co-op tactics of our youth: player one takes the spread gun, player two grabs the laser, and no one stops shooting. European gamers may share less adoration for the game (released there as Probotector with robots in place of humans) but we'll never forget the game that forced us to memorize the Konami code.

# 082 // Gunstar Heroes

Name:Gunstar HeroesPlatform: Sega Genesis
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: SEGA
Year Released: 1993
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
Side-scrolling shooters were a dime a dozen in the 16-bit days, but Treasure's frantic Gunstar Heroes managed to stand out, and for good reason. The game's controls are deceptively simple but allow for unique twists to the genre, such as crazy mine cart antics and enemy tossing, which separate Gunstar Heroes from the rest of the crowded genre. The unique level design and boss fights--which include a brief stint on the top of a flying helicopter with a boss enemy swinging on the chopper blades--remain a showcase of the time and clearly demonstrate the creative genius of developer Treasure.

# 081 // Freedom Force

Name:Freedom ForcePlatform: PC
Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Year Released: 2002
Why it Made the Top 100 List:
Fun. It's a word we might often forget when sifting through the endless waves of gore-ridden shooters and painfully generic hack 'n slash titles that have saturated our market in recent years, but it's certainly not an idea Irrational has ever lost sight of. Those Bostonian and Australian wonder developers took fun to a whole new colorful level when they made Freedom Force. The terrific strategy-RPG took a combat system inspired by Baldur's Gate and delivered it with an amazingly intuitive interface. Irrational then infused the whole package with honest to goodness life. Freedom Force features a lighthearted storyline, excellent character development tools, and a spark -- a spark that makes us happy.